


Lempo

by laufey



Category: Stand Still Stay Silent
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-08
Updated: 2016-09-17
Packaged: 2018-08-07 13:11:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7716055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laufey/pseuds/laufey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Skade was a jötunn who chanced to marry Njord of the Vanir. Their marriage seems to have been a happy one but for one thing: neither could live where the other one wanted to live. Skade, being from snow-covered mountains, could not stand the shrieking of seagulls and Njord, being a god of sea, could not sleep for the howl of mountain wolves. They ended up divorcing because of these basic differences that could not be matched together.</p>
        </blockquote>





	1. The First Big Mistake

_"I was 18, I think. Or maybe 19. It was summer and I had been allowed to join a group heading to south Sweden to help cleanse more land. Great summer by the way, way too hot but otherwise awesome! I wouldn't change anyth- well... maybe. Maybe, if I could, I'd be more careful at what I wish for._

  
_Wishes you see are kinda dangerous. They might not come true, in which case you'll be left hanging forever, or they might come true and usually that's the worst thing that can happen because seriously, people never wish for what's actually good for them."_

 

 

"...and this is the Finnish earth goddess Aaka. She and her husband are the two most important gods for the Finns because they make the whole world, the sky and the earth. I once wrote an article about them and -"

Sigrun yawned. Scholarly discussions were for the scholars and normal people should not be forced to listen to them, she thought and let the voice sweep over her head and disappear into the forest around her. The little statue they were supposed to be really impressed about was nothing that special for an important deity; it was small and simplistic, just a few lines carved into rock. Not even a proper altar for the thing. Where, for example, did you bleed the sacrifice? Where would you set the blood whisk and bowl? The statue was tiny, how would you properly offer it blood? She almost giggled at the thought of a _gode_ having to bend over in double to make sure the blood splatter would mostly hit the goddess and not just rain into the trees behind her.

The day was warm but here in the forest the trees provided them welcome shelter to hide under. A breeze wandered through the leaves and the flickering shadows made the little goddess look like she were laughing with amusement right back at her. All of a sudden, she realized there was a pause in the discussion - well, monologue really - and all her hunter senses brought her back to paying attention.

"Well, uh, I mean this is just one portrait of her and -"  
Their guide was suddenly stuttering as if she had just walked into a tree. Then the third person spoke and Sigrun quickly corrected the image, no, not walked into a tree. Someone walking in front of her had let a branch swing violently into her face and she had not seen it coming.

"No it's not. First of all you got the earth goddess' name wrong. Secondly this is not her. The Finn who lived in that cottage over there used to have a huge statue set for Akka on that side, which is where you no doubt found the sign with the description of her right? That statue was since moved to the Finnish community center in Mora. As for that article you wrote, just going by the details you're quoting... are you really, really sure it was you who wrote it?"

Sigrun was now paying the conversation full attention. Boring foreign religion lessons were not her thing but a fight, even if only done in words? Yes please! She turned to look at the girl now talking and felt like she saw her properly for the first time.

To be honest, at a first glance, there was nothing that special about her. She was a quiet, timid Swedish girl who wore lots of browns and greens as if wanting to blend into the trees. She had grayish blonde hair and gray eyes, she was thin and built in a way that made you think you could snap her like a twig. The bookish type, and besides that a girl of a wealthy family so she always had a gaggle of people around her doing their best to impress her, all in all exactly the type she wouldn't normally give a second thought. But here she was now with steel in her soft, quiet voice and her eyes sharpened to the target and Sigrun was very happy that the target was not her.

The guide was another person she didn't much care about. "I'm good at this, I'm good at that, I'm the bestest in everything" she made her say in a mock voice in her mind. All smiles and pretended friendliness and ulterior motives with a strong desire to become close to them both - the rich Swedish academic girl and the visiting Norwegian troll hunter whose parents were both generals. I never realized how much we have in common, Sigrun mused, waiting for the guide to reply. What was her name anyway? No, more importantly, what was the name of the light-haired girl going for full attack? Had they been introduced? They probably had been. Shit.

Alas, the fight she had been looking forward to didn't happen. Their guide made some hasty explanations on how she had meant she had written a different article and the other girl seemed to agree to drop the subject as well. The rest of their sightseeing walk was blissfully uneventful, their guide now giving the girl a cold silent treatment and Sigrun enjoying every second of the lack of blabber. Eventually the trees let through more and more light until the forest ended and the fields began, and their guide excused herself and went her way.

The awkward moment of standing next to someone you really wanted to know better, yet did not even remember her name, was a killer. Sigrun cast wildly around for a topic of discussion but arrived to nothing. What could she talk about anyway? Troll hunting? That probably wasn't interesting for the other one and what interests she had Sigrun probably would not know anything about, but just then the girl suddenly made everything easy and simple.  
"So, Sigrid was it?"   
"Hahahah! Sigrun. Nice to meet you Håkan."   
The girl blushed but gave her a smile, the first authentic one she'd seen from her. "Siv. Sorry, I have no memory for names."  
"You and me both actually", Sigrun grinned, "I can't even remember her name" she said poking a thumb towards the general direction of where their guide had gone.  
"Me neither, oops. Hopefully I didn't hurt her feelings too badly!"  
You don't really sound like you even care, Sigrun thought: "She'll probably get over it, dunno. Anyway, was it you who really wrote that article she was talking about?"  
It had been a guess but it hit the mark. "Yes! Did you read it?"

Without realizing it the two had turned back into the forest and were tracking their way towards the now abandoned cottage of the Finnish mage who had once upon a time made his home there in the Swedish forests. The little goddess statue seemed to be greeting them as if welcoming their return. Sigrun decided to reply that she had indeed read the article, but when she opened her mouth what came out was:  
"Nah, I'm not good at reading. I just figured you wrote it because you knew so much about it and got so angry."  
"Oh, that was not me being angry, I was just -"  
"You totally were. You sounded like you wanted to deck her."  
Siv laughed and Sigrun thought she could feel the laugh all the way down to the pit of her stomach. So bright, fearless and sincere. She might become a great hunter if she did a few push-ups and learned to be a bit more assertive, flashed through Sigrun's mind for a moment and then she quickly shooed the idea away. What a waste of education that would be; she was a person who could write articles and stuff. While they had similar backgrounds in many ways they were still worlds apart.

"So - so anyway - " Sigrun tried to keep the conversation going, "if this is not Aaka or what was her name, who is it?"  
"This? This is Lempo. I know it because I'm smart like that", Siv gave her an awkward punch on the arm like someone who had never punched anything in her life, "oooor I just read the text written right underneath her feet." Sigrun glanced down and sure enough, there it was. Lempo in simple block letters. "Huh. Sure missed that one. What's this goddess about then?"  
Now Siv seemed a bit smug. "She, or he, the Finns don't seem to be completely decided on the gender, is the god of fire and everything that ties to fire. Such as protection, blades, bread and, well, love."  
"Sounds like an important one... kinda surprising the statue's so tiny then."  
"Ah, I assume that's because she was never meant for anyone else but the mage himself. It's a personal votive image, possibly because this goddess is seen as a rather dangerous one."  
"Well if it's fire and blades, that's not too weird..."  
"No", and now Siv's voice turned even softer than before, "it's because she gives you everything you ask for but only if you ask for it sincerely and honestly. If you ask for something you think you want but it's not really what you wanted, or worse, if you lie in her presence... at worst case she might get angry. I understood from the old texts that she measures your character and rewards or punishes you accordingly."

Sigrun looked at the statue again and now for some reason it no longer looked harmless and insignificant and though it still bore that amused, playful smile it now looked like the smile of a general. "It's just a folk belief of course, over here in Sweden we don't really believe in this kind of thing" Siv went on, but Sigrun noticed the careful choice of words: Siv was not talking about herself. "Best not to piss off any god or goddess", she replied, "even if you didn't believe in them. It's just good luck, everyone knows that. Anyway, it's getting a bit late, we should probably start heading back." Siv nodded and they turned to leave. Casting one, last glance towards the goddess Sigrun presented it a wish with as much sincerity, honesty and willpower as she could muster before following Siv out of the forest and back into the village.


	2. Wildfire

_"There's people who warn you about a sheer drop up ahead and then there's people who don't. And thirdly there's people who gleefully tackle you off the cliff with them and hold you, laughing, all the way down."_

 

It was the beginning of summer and the weather had decided to get as bad as it possibly could be, blistering hot days followed by equally uncomfortable nights. The visiting Norwegian hunter group hung wet linen sheets in their windows and kept them open for what little cooling that could accomplish, but they still slept badly and were looking groggier and groggier each day. The local Swedes were faring much better, possibly they were used to higher temperatures due to living inland and far further south.

  
Thankfully, there was the lake. Sigrun had taken to spending most of her non-troll-hunting free time either sitting in the shadows near the lake, or swimming short laps, trying to keep as close to the tree covered shore as possible. She turned back to where she had left her clothes and absentmindedly picked a few ladybugs off her sunburnt arms and shoulders. The summer seemed agreeable to them and every place was teeming with the bright coloured little creatures. Sometimes they landed on or fell in the lake and then just grabbed the first thing going past them to get back up again, and this time that was Sigrun. She placed them on a rock to dry in the sunshine and watched them crawl around, smiling a little.

  
"How's the water?"

  
She looked up from the beetles, alarmed. She was supposed to be a seasoned hunter and not let anything sneak up on her. Siv didn't seem to realize this, which was a blessing; she just stood there in her green skirt and pale brown cardigan like some kind of a forest spirit materialized out of the nearest tree.

  
"Oh - hi. Hi!" Wait, had there been a question? "It's nice, not too cold."

  
"I'll join you then!" Siv pulled both her cardigan and shirt over her head in one fluid move and then stopped, clothes hanging at her elbows. "Or wait, were you already leaving?"

  
"No, nonono. Not yet. I was just - just - there's lots of ladybugs! I had some stuck on me and I came here to -" and she gestured wildly towards the rock where they still sat drying their coats. "Hahah so that's what you were doing, I was wondering what was going on." The skirt fell on the ground and she kicked it to the crumpled pile of clothes, unfastened her bra and then stepped out of her panties.

  
Sigrun tried to not stare, and it was so difficult. There should not have been a reason for that; she saw naked men and women all the time when bathing, swimming or getting decontaminated after a hunting trip. Yet, somehow, Siv's slender frame, her small chest and surprisingly curvy hips were taking all her attention. Another interesting detail was the very thorough... grooming. Um. She was either very blonde or shaved it all off or - and here Sigrun tried to stop her thoughts because she had a worrying feeling they were bordering on creepy. She watched in fascination as Siv tried the water with her toes before jumping right in with a splash, swimming past her. Little waves clapped at Sigrun's hips and Siv's arms moving underwater sent currents that twirled around her thighs, making her skin feel like burning in a way very different from the scorching sunlight. She watched Siv's head bob up and down as she swam and her wish to the little Finnish god snuck into her mind.

  
Please let me be hers. Hers forever, no matter what, or how.

  
It wouldn't be easy, it wouldn't make people very happy, and of course there was always the risk of things going wrong. She was from safe, warm south Sweden and Sigrun from the side of Atlantic. She felt her best in the cold season, up her familiar mountains; it might all end like with Skade and Njord but wouldn't it be worth a try? Sigrun shook her head a bit. There was getting ahead of things and then there was planning marriage to a woman she had spoken to, like, that one time before.

  
"It is cold, you liar!" Siv breathed out and turned back, her voice bubbling with the water trying to sneak in her open mouth. Sigrun wished she could say something, anything, but there she was standing still and staying silent as if facing some kind of a massive troll rather than some random lady with no battle experience what so ever. All of a sudden Siv's head disappeared under the surface as she dived, and for a moment her body glowed golden yellow through the sunlit water before she reappeared, right in front of her, splashing cold water on her already dry skin. Sigrun yelped a little out of surprise and Siv laughed again, a wild, challenging laugh

  
(so unlike what you'd expect of someone like her)

  
and kept splashing.

  
Two could play this game, and Sigrun was happy they were again in her comfort zone. She grabbed Siv into a bear hug and threw her sideways back into the lake, and for a short moment as Siv's small breasts pressed against hers she thought she'd fall along with her, her knees would give out. Somehow she managed to keep upright, quickly climbing the sun-warmed rocks out of the lake before Siv would have time for a counter attack. Sigrun managed to run for about five steps before she caught up, throwing her whole weight on her and by some miracle managing to wrestle her down

  
(or maybe she let her)

  
(maybe)

  
stumbled and fell on her. Dry pine needles prickled her thighs as she sat there, arms full of cold, wet Swedish girl who was still awkwardly trying to, what, fight her perhaps, except she was about the most worst at it. Sigrun made an easy grab at her wrists and held them both in one hand to make a point.

  
"Being stronger than me is playing unfair," Siv was still laughing and now she was turning a little breathless. Sigrun had been expecting something different, something boastful perhaps, and now she had no idea how to respond to that except for a weak, "What. How?"

  
Siv leaned forward, her nipples brushed against Sigrun's breasts and all of a sudden her world was full of summer; warm sunlight casting a playful pattern of shadows over them, soft grass underneath her smelling like grass does on a hot day, a smiling, blonde girl placing a careful kiss on the side of her mouth. Sigrun turned her head a bit towards her and the next kisses fell on her lips, soft and gentle but each of them stronger and more open. "You're one to complain about playing unfair," flashed through Sigrun's mind as she let herself be pushed down and the slender wrists slipped out of her grasp.

  
Siv's weight on her was at the same time so light it was almost unnoticeable, and so heavy she could barely breathe. She found her own hands on Siv's hips and slid them up, past the sides of her breasts, and felt her breath change pace in her mouth, quickening, becoming more erratic. She wanted her so much it felt painful, but what was one supposed to do next? Sigrun had never been that interested in bedroom activities. True, she'd kissed people before but that was about it... she had had no patience for anything further and now she wished she'd had the foresight to do a few practice rounds at least.

  
"Mwuh," she tried, cupped Siv's face in both hands and carefully pulled away because talking with someone's tongue in one's mouth just didn't work. "Um. I'm. Sorry, I don't know how to - I mean," she added hastily when Siv seemed to be drawing back, "I like this! I like kissing you, let's keep doing it and, um, I just..." she held her her breath a little, this was going nowhere. She'd just have to spit it out. "I really want to, just... I haven't done this before ssssssooo... I don't know what to -"

  
Siv gave her another, little kiss. "Oh, sorry, I had no idea. It's fine though, you don't have to do anything." She buried her face on the side of her neck and trailed her tongue along the skin. Fire, blades and love... quite a fitting combo, all things considered, Sigrun managed to think before her thoughts began to unravel. As if answering her, Siv cupped her breast and slid her fingers over her nipple, teasing, a light touch that made her arch her back a little. She gave her a gentle pinch, just hard enough to make goosebumps run all over her, and bent down to suck on the other one.

  
All the sounds she had tried to keep inside her were fighting to get out now, and a little gasp managed to escape. Siv looked up and smiled, glanced around and saw the somewhat neatly folded pile that was Sigrun's uniform. She pulled it closer, coaxed Sigrun to lie down on her back and slipped the uniform under her head as a makeshift pillow. Sigrun shifted a little, trying to get the pile of clothes to settle better, and sunlight winking through the leafy forest roof above her burned little dots into her vision.

  
Siv planted a light, airy kiss above her bellybutton and trailed her lips downwards, barely touching. All of a sudden she moved up a little and kissed the side of her stomach near where her thigh began, greedily, Sigrun thought she felt teeth for a tiniest moment and drew a quick, shaky breath. She glanced down and met Siv's eyes, cheerful, watching her as she kissed her again, now lower. Was she really going to -? The next kiss hit the spot right above her clit and her knees bent up a bit at their own accord, her thighs trying to close on reflex at the intensity of the sensation. Siv pushed the other one carefully back and slid her tongue down, giving her a few gentle licks at first, each one demanding a bit more.

  
She hadn't known something could feel like this. Her thoughts ran helter skelter across her mind and she couldn't grab at any one of them. Siv buried her face in her, making small, pleased sounds, and Sigrun noticed she had at some point reached down and was now grabbing Siv by her hair, pressing her head down. That was probably kinda rude, she managed to think, but couldn't quite make herself let go. Was that Siv's voice alone - she tried to bite her lip to stay quiet but couldn't, it was like a thin flame had been running under her skin and she was almost as scared of the feeling as she loved it.

  
She came so quickly she hadn't thought it even possible, grabbing her uniform with one hand thrown behind her neck, the other one twisting harder into Siv's hair for a moment. Her whole body trembled and she imagined waves of fire washing through her, blessed, cleansing fire. Swedish specialty, her brain helpfully suggested and she had to fight down a laugh mid-orgasm. She coaxed her fingers to open (pulling Siv's hair like that must have hurt a lot) and let her hand stay resting on her head. Her breath was rapid and she had worked up a sweat somehow, which she now noticed as the small breeze from the lake made her shiver a little. Siv was saying something with that funny accent of hers, asking her if she had liked it? She could only smile at her and nod a little; she would not be able to form any kind of a coherent reply for a good while now.

  
"So," Siv said, something victorious in her voice, "up for another swim?"

                                                               

 

Art by [Jureeya](http://jureeya.tumblr.com/)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Skade was a jötunn who chanced to marry Njord of the Vanir. Their marriage seems to have been a happy one but for one thing: neither could live where the other one wanted to live. Skade, being from snow-covered mountains, could not stand the shrieking of seagulls and Njord, being a god of sea, could not sleep for the howl of mountain wolves. They ended up divorcing because of these basic differences that could not be matched together.

**Author's Note:**

> \- A gode, or a goði, is an Ásatrú priest. Sigrun is thinking of a blót, a blood sacrifice, where the blood sacrificed has to be sprinkled on the statue/s of the god/s it's offered to.


End file.
